Monday, December 30, 2013

Small Accomplishments for 2014

I love making small quilts with an antique look and, if you follow my blog, you probably do too. Making small quilts can be so much fun. Why, I've even made a career out making small quilts and writing about them . . . .

For the past few years my Yahoo Small Quilt group has attempted to make one small quilt a month from patterns in my books. Some members make all of these challenges and some just make a few. And every year I give them my suggestions to help organize and plan in order to accomplish some of their goals. Worth repeating here.

(Small Quilt Talk members, I know you've already heard this a few times - bear with me as I repeat myself . . . again.)

* * *

It's almost a new year and I know we all want to make a bunch of small quilts
again. I suspect many of you get very busy with other things at times. So much can get in
the way of our quilting. Sometimes it's overwhelming. But don't let that
happen.

This year, 2014, we are going to continue to try to make one
small quilt a month all year long. Many of you have bought my books because you
like my small quilts and feel they are doable. Make time to make some of them and, trust
me, you will feel so good about actually finishing a few. It does not take as
long as you think. Remember, at the end of the year, if you keep up, you will
have 12 small quilts made. Or maybe 5 or 6, or even 2 or 3, which is better than
none.

Every year I post my
suggestions on how to get these quilts finished. If you are determined to make a
quilt a month you have to disipline yourself and really really want to make
them. If a quilt for a certain month is not to your liking, then choose another
from another challenge.

Some of you can make one of these all in one
sitting. But I know it's not easy or practical for some of you to do it this
way. Don't beat yourself up. Break it up into regular chunks of time and don't
pressure yourself to make each quilt all at once. I think you can easily finish
one little quilt every month if you do that.

Get yourself a "Small
Quilt" notebook (Goody - another reason to run to Target for cute notebooks!)
and keep track of your progress. Keep yourself accountable by writing down your
small quilt goals every month and do your best to accomplish some of
them.

1. First Week - Spend an hour or two to choose your fabrics and cut
the pieces. Don't pressure yourself to finish the whole quilt that day unless
you want to and have the time. Put this somewhere in a zip lock bag where you
can easily see it and return to it.

2. Second Week - Make your blocks.
This also only takes a few hours (sometimes less, because remember, the quilts
are small).

3. Third Week - Put the blocks together. Probably takes an
hour or two. Maybe add the border if you have time or at least cut the fabric
for it.

4. Fourth Week - Finish borders, layer your quilt with batting
and backing and spend the rest of the time finishing/quilting. This often takes
the most time, but if you like handwork it can go fast.

All it takes is a
little discipline. I find I work best with a schedule and some of you may find
that helpful too. You just have to keep at it.

When I have a few
projects I need to finish I write them down on a list (or in a notebook,
actually) in outline fashion. Then I make a point of breaking the quilt into
parts and then checking off the parts as I finish them (cut pieces, make blocks,
sew together, add borders, quilt, add binding). This gives me something concrete
to look at and remind myself of what I have accomplished on that project. Even a
little bit of progress makes me feel good.

Bottom line - You can do
this!

-Kathy

* * *

Join us this month as we make a little Bear's Paw quilt from my book Prairie Children & Their Quilts (and also in the recent book 101 Fabulous Small Quilts published byMartingale & Co.)

(In case you're thinking you cannot do this, no way, keep in mind that all of these quilters finished their small Bear's Paw quilt tops in a 3-hour workshop! Thank you, Cedar Falls, Iowa, quilters for your diligence!)

13 comments:

Thanks for all the advice, Kathy. I know these sweet little quilts are doable as I've made quite a few and loved every minute of it. The red and white pinwheel (free pattern) has been on my coffee table since Dec. 1. I love the Bear's Paw quilt and am going to start that one right away using a journal as you suggested. It seems like a great way to get things done.

I love your little quilts. It's fun to see the fabrics and prints you choose for each one. Your blog is so inspirational to get me sewing again, but I am having so much fun with my grandsons, it's hard to find the time.

Hi there, first of all I love your blog. This may sound like a crazy question but why make small quilts? What do you do with them. I am a new quilter, and I always start off big. With everything I do, I do big. I am in the process now of making a queen size Hawaiian quilt for one of my daughters. I also don't like square. I always do rectangle or some other design. Am I the only one that asks this question. They are all so pretty but what do you do with them?

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I'm a quilt designer and author of six quilting books for Martingale. I love making small quilts with an antique look and find inspiration in quilts from the past and the women who made them.
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If you're using one of my patterns on your blog or as a challenge for your group or guild - either the free ones from my website or my yahoo group or perhaps from one of my books - please make sure you give me credit for writing the pattern and drawing up the design and ask permission before you reproduce or distribute it. Thanks!